Overview
Join us on a kayak tour of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Experience a series of sea kayaking and hiking day trips from our Little Sand Bay Base Camp, including the beautiful Mawikwe Sea Caves, Bark Bay Slough, or one of the many majestic Apostle Islands. So many day trip options await you on this popular Apostle Islands National Lakeshore offering just north of Bayfield, Wisconsin. Enjoy delicious food, experience breathtaking sunsets over Lake Superior, and listen to waves crash along the shore. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is great for beginning sea kayakers and seasoned paddlers alike.
Sample Itinerary
Expand All FieldsDay 1: Welcome to Wilderness Inquiry's beautiful base camp at Little Sand Bay.
In the afternoon meet at our beautiful base camp at Little Sand Bay. Review personal gear, participate in a sea kayaking orientation, and get to know your trip mates. Learn about the Lake Superior "Cedar - Hemlock" forest unique to this area before enjoying an evening sunset over Lake Superior.
Day 2: Explore the Roman's Point Sea Caves by kayak and then hike to Lost Creek Falls.
Rise for a delicious breakfast paired with a steaming cup of coffee. Review paddling skills with your guides and prep for a day of adventure. Head west to explore the charms that the nearby community of Cornucopia offers with a paddle tour of the Roman's Point Sea Caves. After lunch, hit the trail for a hike to the unique plunge-waterfall of Lost Creek Falls. End the day relaxing and telling stories around the campfire. Depending on weather and wind direction, this day's itinerary is subject to change.
Day 3: Paddle the iconic Mawikwe Sea Caves at Meyer's Beach
After you start your day with a hearty breakfast, get your paddle gear ready, pack lunch, and leave for Mawikwe Bay. Here you will kayak to the most majestic sea caves in the entire Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Your Outdoor Leaders will safely guide you as you kayak in-and-out of the many rock chambers sculpted over centuries by wind and waves. Rest and enjoy lunch on a secluded beach before making your paddle back to Meyers Beach. Spend one last night at our Little Sand Bay Base Camp with hot showers, great food, and good company. Depending on weather and wind direction, this day's itinerary is subject to change.
Day 4: Enjoy one final adventure before saying farewell to your trip mates.
After breakfast, partake in one final adventure - perhaps a hike above the Mawikwe Sea Caves you paddled the day before to see them from a new perspective. Enjoy sharing stories with your trip mates over lunch before your afternoon departure.
Dates & Fees
| 2025 Dates | Fee | Registration |
|---|---|---|
What to Expect
ACCOMMODATIONS: You will enjoy your stay at our Little Sand Bay Base Camp. At night you will sleep on comfortable cots in platform tents. Typically, there are 2-3 people per 4-person platform tent (other arrangements can be made). Our Little Sand Bay Base Camp has very nice bathrooms and shower facilities with hot water.
Read more »Frequently Asked Questions:
Where do we meet?
Standard Meeting Places and Times
Start: Little Sand Bay Base Camp at 1:30 PM (local time)
End: Little Sand Bay Base Camp at 1:30 PM (local time)
Transportation
This trip begins at 1:30 PM at our Little Sand Bay Base Camp near Bayfield, WI, where parking is available. This trip ends at Little Sand Bay Base Camp at 1:30 PM. Detailed meeting place directions will be sent to you when you are confirmed for the trip. Booking a flight? We recommend flying in the night before your trip to Duluth or Minneapolis St. Paul airports, and flying out from Duluth after 5:30 PM and from Minneapolis St. Paul after 9:00 PM.
Do you have any additional health restrictions on trail?
In addition to following CDC guidelines, we work with a team of community and health experts to help guide our safety measures on and off the trail. Find a complete list of steps we are taking to provide you the safest experience here: https://www.wildernessinquiry.org/covid19/
Do you offer financial aid?
Yes - we believe the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors should be available to everyone. To keep our programs as financially accessible as possible, each year we raise funds to support need-based scholarships. Certain restrictions apply. Financial aid is available for a select number of trips only and typically not available for international trips. Click here to apply for financial aid. This website also shows a list of trips that are currently eligible for financial aid. Check back often, as this list is updated regularly! Call 612-676-9400 for more information.
Do I need paddling experience to join a canoe or kayak trip?
Paddling trips with WI are appropriate for beginners and seasoned paddlers alike. On the first day of all trips, basic paddling strokes will be taught by the trip leader. Each trip gives participants multiple opportunities to practice their skills. Participants with more experience will have plenty of opportunity to paddle during the trip, and even to help teach less experienced paddlers!
What is the base camp like on the Apostle Islands trips?
We refer to our property as the Little Sand Bay Base Camp. The camp is approximately 1,500 feet from the Lake Superior lakeshore near Little Sand Bay in Northern Wisconsin. Our base camp offers camping at its most comfortable and accessible. All tents are large enough to stand upright, and are set up on comfortable wooden platforms. Hot showers, private bathrooms, a roofed pavilion space, and an indoor seating area for leisure time are other key features. The camp consists of 40 acres of woods with wood chip trails, 5 campsites, and a gear warehouse. Watch this short video to see what it is like.
I use a wheelchair, can I still participate?
Yes, our Basecamp is accessible and this trip is pretty accessible overall. Of course, each person is different so we will ask you to complete a standard health form. If we have any questions, we will call you to discuss them. We do not recommend this trip for people who use electric wheelchairs, unless they bring their own van or ability to transport their power-chair.